Language Poetry, or L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E P=O=E=T=R=Y is an Avant-garde style of poetry within the post-modernist tradition. Language poetry has been described as language artists attempting to find the base of language: more than just the break down of words and sounds, but the true meaning of language. The idea that is most difficult concerning language poetry is that the goal was not to let words decide the meaning of a poem, but the language to be the meaning. To some, this is the purest form of poetry, because the meaning of the poem varies person to person. It can't be decoded or dissected, because there is no right or wrong in language poetry, it just is.
"Language is nothing but meanings, and meanings are nothing but a flow of contexts. Such contexts rarely coalesce into images, rarely come to terms. They are transitions, transmutations, the endless radiating of denotation into relation." - Lyn Hejinian[1]
History
The School of Language Poetry began in the 70's in response to traditional American poetry and conventions.[2]
Language poetry developed through magazines such as This and L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E. L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E which was published by Charles Berstein and Bruce Andrews, and was a very short-lived publication, only producing thirteen issues.[3]
Bruce Andrews, one of the editors of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, addresses Language Writing in this way,
"So-called Language Writing distinguishes itself: First, by challenging the transitive ideal of communicating, of the direct immediate broadcast, of the Truth with a capital T (you pompous fool) — by challenging the usual generic architecture of signification, of the unrequited or unrequitable sign. Second, by foregrounding in a pretty drastic way the materiality (and social materiality) of the reading surface, down to its tiniest markers. (Even punctuation. Remember: Russia, the 1905 revolution – the first soviet was formed in St Petersburg in order to coordinate a print-workers strike called to demand payment for typesetting punctuation marks and not just ‘letters’)."[4]
Philosophy
Key aspects of language poetry include the idea that language dictates meaning rather than the other way around. Language poetry also seeks to involve the reader in the text, placing importance on reader participation in the construction of meaning. By breaking up poetic language, the poet is requiring the reader to find a new way to approach the [5] text. [6] By relying on literary devices such as synecdoche and metonymy, language poets drew on the reader's own experience to complete the meaning to the poetry itself.
The structure of the poems define the philosophy behind language poetry, meaning that the characteristics of what makes a text language poetry are representative of themselves something much deeper. This concept mirrors itself in the work produced. The acknowledgement that there is no clear narrative and lines are to be interpreted sometimes word by word was a tenet of language poetry meant as a critique of the bourgeoisie capitalist policy of the government at this time. By juxtaposing dissimilar objects many times singular phrases that seem to not have any connection will create a meaning in the reader as they take in every separate word. An example of this type of reading is the close reading we performed on Robert Creeley's "America".
In this brief interview clip Hejinian notes the nature of language poetry; it is not "natural" poetry. You have to spend time with it in order to appreciate it's meaning, sound, and nature. She says natural poetry exists, but it is mostly cliche, and "athletic." Language Poetry confronts the very notion of "pure poetry" by its complex meanings and language.
Analysis
"I’m often ambivalent, the artistic will being weak as well as strong about being seen heard understood Whatever I see in thought as life I come to coming to me in history At first glance? What could we, mind wandering but never ‘free,’ do with the word ‘galactic’ Events are unscrolling, they cover my eyes, all familiarity naked"
-excerpt from Lyn Hejinian's "Happily"
The language in this excerpt is absent of imagery, and speaks quite philosophically (a characteristic of much language writing). The punctuation is minimal, with only one question mark in the middle of the stanza, and a few commas.
Significant Poets
Some major players in the Language Poetry Movement were Ron Silliman, Rae Armantrout, and Lyn Hejinian. Charles Bernstein, Barrett Watten and Bob Perelman were also significant poets within this movement.
Robert Grenier
Robert Grenier is a contemporary American poet associated with the Language Poetry School of thought. He was founding co-editor of the influential magazine This(1971–1974). This was a critical turning point in the history of recent American poetry, providing one of the first venues in print of various writers, artists, and poets now identified (or loosely referred to) as the Language Poets.
Robert Grenier's "Sentences" is an unfoldable box, pictured to the right, containing 500 5x8 index cards. The cards have no referntial connection with each other, but Grenier intended readers to interpret and find their own connections with the poem. Part of the interest of "Sentences" is that the cards can be arranged differently each time, which results in a completely different poem every time its read.
Rae Armantrout
Rae Armantrout is a language poet who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for her book, Versed.
She is known for breaking up her poetry into sections, mirroring the way that normal everyday happenings in our lives occur back-to-back, without necessarily being related in subject.
Many of Armantrout's poems were autobiographical, but several considered the nature and meaning of language. For example, the poem "Scrumble" explores the fetishism of language.
Ron Silliman
Ron Silliman became part of a group of poets that later become known as the founders of Language Poetry. Silliman's anthology, "In the American Tree" (1986), continues to be a primary resource for readers interested in Language Poetry. His books of essays, "The New Sentence" (1987), reflects upon Language Poetry's interest in critical self-examination. This book's title essay sparked the resurgence of the longer prose poem.[7]
Lyn Hejinian
Lyn Hejinian, she is a poet, essayist, and translator with multiple publications. She wrote language poetry, but not exclusively, and speaks on meaning in poetry and language. A quote on one of Hejinians' works, The Fatalist, poet Juliana Spahr said, "Hejinian's work often demonstrates how poetry is a way of thinking, a way of encountering and constructing the world, one endless utopian moment even as it is full of failures." With many other credits to her resume, Hejinian speaks eloquently on the purity of poetry and language.
Influences
It seems that many language poets were influenced by the work of John Ashbery, one of the most famous American 20th century poets. John Ashbery tried to destroy preconceived notions about themes and styles and poetry itself, and he tried, like the language poets, to challenge his readers to engage in the text.[8] [9]
Gertrude Stein is also a significant precursor to language poetry who did similar things with language.
Images are used in accordance with fair use practices.If you hold copyright to an image, and do not agree that its use accords with fair use practices,please contact the wiki's creator and organizer.
^ Hejinian, Lyn. "Introduction."The Language of Inquiry. poets.org. N.p., 2012. Web. 20 Feb 2012.
"Language is nothing but meanings, and meanings are nothing but a flow of contexts. Such contexts rarely coalesce into images, rarely come to terms. They are transitions, transmutations, the endless radiating of denotation into relation." - Lyn Hejinian[1]
History
The School of Language Poetry began in the 70's in response to traditional American poetry and conventions.[2]
Language poetry developed through magazines such as This and L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E. L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E which was published by Charles Berstein and
Bruce Andrews, one of the editors of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, addresses Language Writing in this way,
"So-called Language Writing distinguishes itself:
First,
by challenging the transitive ideal of communicating, of the direct immediate broadcast,
of the Truth with a capital T (you pompous fool) —
by challenging the usual generic architecture of signification,
of the unrequited or unrequitable sign.
Second,
by foregrounding in a pretty drastic way the materiality (and social materiality) of the reading surface, down to its tiniest markers.
(Even punctuation. Remember: Russia, the 1905 revolution –
the first soviet was formed in St Petersburg in order to coordinate a print-workers strike called to demand payment for typesetting punctuation marks and not just ‘letters’)." [4]
Philosophy
Key aspects of language poetry include the idea that language dictates meaning rather than the other way around. Language poetry also seeks to involve the reader in the text, placing importance on reader participation in the construction of meaning. By breaking up poetic language, the poet is requiring the reader to find a new way to approach the
[5]
text. [6] By relying on literary devices such as synecdoche and metonymy, language poets drew on the reader's own experience to complete the meaning to the poetry itself.
The structure of the poems define the philosophy behind language poetry, meaning that the characteristics of what makes a text language poetry are representative of themselves something much deeper. This concept mirrors itself in the work produced. The acknowledgement that there is no clear narrative and lines are to be interpreted sometimes word by word was a tenet of language poetry meant as a critique of the bourgeoisie capitalist policy of the government at this time. By juxtaposing dissimilar objects many times singular phrases that seem to not have any connection will create a meaning in the reader as they take in every separate word. An example of this type of reading is the close reading we performed on Robert Creeley's "America".
In this brief interview clip Hejinian notes the nature of language poetry; it is not "natural" poetry. You have to spend time with it in order to appreciate it's meaning, sound, and nature. She says natural poetry exists, but it is mostly cliche, and "athletic." Language Poetry confronts the very notion of "pure poetry" by its complex meanings and language.
Analysis
"I’m often ambivalent, the artistic will being weak as well
as strong about being seen heard understood
Whatever I see in thought as life I come to coming to me
in history
At first glance?
What could we, mind wandering but never ‘free,’ do with
the word ‘galactic’
Events are unscrolling, they cover my eyes, all familiarity naked"
-excerpt from Lyn Hejinian's "Happily"
The language in this excerpt is absent of imagery, and speaks quite philosophically (a characteristic of much language writing). The punctuation is minimal, with only one question mark in the middle of the stanza, and a few commas.
Significant Poets
Some major players in the Language Poetry Movement were Ron Silliman, Rae Armantrout, and Lyn Hejinian. Charles Bernstein, Barrett Watten and Bob Perelman were also significant poets within this movement.
Robert Grenier
Robert Grenier is a contemporary American poet associated with the Language Poetry School of thought. He was founding co-editor of the influential
Robert Grenier's "Sentences" is an unfoldable box, pictured to the right, containing 500 5x8 index cards. The cards have no referntial connection with each other, but Grenier intended readers to interpret and find their own connections with the poem. Part of the interest of "Sentences" is that the cards can be arranged differently each time, which results in a completely different poem every time its read.
Rae Armantrout
Rae Armantrout is a language poet who recently won the Pulitzer Prize for her book, Versed.
She is known for breaking up her poetry into sections, mirroring the way that normal everyday happenings in our lives occur back-to-back, without necessarily being related in subject.
Many of Armantrout's poems were autobiographical, but several considered the nature and meaning of language. For example, the poem "Scrumble" explores the fetishism of language.
Ron Silliman
Ron Silliman became part of a group of poets that later become known as the founders of Language Poetry. Silliman's anthology, "In the American Tree" (1986), continues to be a primary resource for readers interested in Language Poetry. His books of essays, "The New Sentence" (1987), reflects upon Language Poetry's interest in critical self-examination. This book's title essay sparked the resurgence of the longer prose poem.[7]Lyn Hejinian
Lyn Hejinian, she is a poet, essayist, and translator with multiple publications. She wrote language poetry, but not exclusively, and speaks on meaning in poetry and language.
A quote on one of Hejinians' works, The Fatalist, poet Juliana Spahr said, "Hejinian's work often demonstrates how poetry is a way of thinking, a way of encountering and constructing the world, one endless utopian moment even as it is full of failures." With many other credits to her resume, Hejinian speaks eloquently on the purity of poetry and language.
Influences
It seems that many language poets were influenced by the work of John Ashbery, one of the most famous American 20th century poets. John Ashbery tried to destroy preconceived notions about themes and styles and poetry itself, and he tried, like the language poets, to challenge his readers to engage in the text.[8]
[9]
Gertrude Stein is also a significant precursor to language poetry who did similar things with language.
Black Mountain also influenced Language Poetry.
External Links
On First Looking into Wikipedia's "Language"
Reading Coincidences into Sentences
L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E magazine on Eclipse
Sentences
Language Poetry Blog
Language Poetry: Dissident Practices and Makings of a Movement
References
Images are used in accordance with fair use practices.If you hold copyright to an image, and do not agree that its use accords with fair use practices,please contact the wiki's creator and organizer.
Andrews, Hana, ed. "A Brief Guide to Language Poetry." poets.org. N.p., 2012. Web. 20 Feb 2012. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5661>.
Chakroborty, Suman. "Meaning, Unmeaning, and the Poetics of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E". N.p., (Date modified). Web. 14 Feb 2012.
Andrew, Bruce. "Bruce Andrews: The Poetics of L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E". N.p., (Date modified). Web. 14 Feb 2012.
Hejinian, Lyn. Personal Interview. 17 Oct 2009.
Andrews.
Andrews, Hana, ed. "Ron Silliman." poets.org. N.p., 2012. Web. 20 Feb 2012. <http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/1544>.
"John Ashbery." The Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation, 2011. Web. 12 Mar 2012. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/john-ashbery>.
Raiham, Liz. "John Ashbery's Influence on Four "Language Poets". N.p., 18 Jul 2007. Web. 20 Feb 2012.